Inside PSY’s $3.5million Super Bowl Commercial

PSY on set of the Wonderful Pistachios commercial in North Hollywood, LA, on January 8, 2013Credit: Susan Goldman/Wonderful Pistachios

Someone might just be upstaging Beyonce at this year’s Super Bowl.

On January 8, PSY filmed a major new Super Bowl commercial for Wonderful Pistachios – and the clip promises to be all kinds of magic.

In the flashy 30-second advertisement, PSY – who filmed the promo at a North Hollywood studio – will show off a new way to crack pistachio nuts open. “Gangnam Style” will, of course, feature heavily, but the 35-year-old reveals they have written all-new lyrics.

“We’ve made some changes. It’s going to be big,” the rapper says. “When I heard how big it is to do a Super Bowl commercial, I was just… it’s awesome.

“This is my first time shooting a commercial in the United States, so it’s really special.

“This company and this brand are the first people [in the United States] to choose me as an advertising model and, you know, I don’t look like a model but I get to be a model so it’s really appreciable.”

Roll Global, makers of Wonderful Pistachios, are keeping footage of the advertisement under lock and key until the big day, but a spokesman tells IdolWow!: “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Everyone’s going to be talking about it.”

The commercial shoot took almost an entire day to complete.Credit: Wonderful Pistachios

PSY is just one of the many big star names featuring in Super Bowl commercials this year. Model Kate Upton will advertise for Mercedes, Bar Rafaeli for Go Daddy, Beyonce for Pepsi (as well as a huge half-time performance with Destiny’s Child), Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco for Toyota and many more.

On average, the Super Bowl attracts over 100 million viewers across North America. The cost for a 30 second commercial during the NHL championship final costs at least $3.5 million USD.

Does PSY worry about competing with Beyonce for vital-status on Super Bowl Sunday? “I am a big fan [of Beyonce],” he says. “But, I gotta be honest, I’m really good at dancing the ‘Single Ladies’ dance.”